Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1887-06-25

What an interesting woman Leighton
said to his ledger that evening. as the visit.
ful eyes and pensiVe, refined face Of The
new customer glided between his sleepy
vision and the balance sheet. II wonder
why she is so very sad, " he asked himself
presently; @looks as If she had buried hel
last friend, yet she was not in mourning
Wen, we'll; perhaps she's very poor
drunken husband or something. Goo
knows there are worse things than deathi'
And he sighed again as he closed the huge
ledger and took up his hat to leave the
store.
He, too, had had his heart experience
and q shattered confidence and black rib
bon running Though ring and tied around
a bundle OF letters in q Woman's hand
writing were ali he had left now, excepting
a pain in his heart occasionally. And TO-
night It had reused up for some reason,
with all its latent power in full force; per
haps the sad face Of the lady customer
from over the way had brought it all out
again In a sort OF sympathetic affinity Of
soul
She had heart acquainted with grief,
be was sure, and his heart went cut to hel
In a strange yearning to assist her into the
sunshine some way. The shadows were
very hard to dwell In; he knew that. Il
was hard enough for man, but for q deli
cate blossom OF a woman TO be left out Of
the sunshine. why, it was too badl
She should be well paid for her work, at
any rate, and if poverty was the cause ii
could be remedied; but if it was heart
trouble, why, Of course, gold and silver
were Of no account as cures.
The summer had slipped its cable and
gone the way Of the sunsets, and Eleanor
Byrne had carried several rolls Of work
across the blue waters Of the bay to
Nichols & Leighton, and an abundance of
pin-mOney was the consequence.
And somehow it had grown to happen that
whenever she called, the junior partner
WAS in. Could it be he was SO devoted to
business that he was an ever present digit
in the calculation, or-did- he guess at her
coming, and-weu no matter. It wasn't
safe to dwell on this thought.
Eleanor's face grew hot at the intuition
her heart was daily thrusting upon her, not
that Cullen Leighton was presuming in his
attentions, or Objectionable in his manner
toward her. On the contrary, he was stu
diously polite, as If trying to hide his
hearts secret, but his kindness had won
the love pining away in the desolate soul of
little Mrs. Byrne, and she was at last wax
ing up to the true drift of affairs. This
was why her heart throbbed faster, and
a flush crept up to the white temples
thoughts of the junior partner
fitted like sunshine across her mind, and,
it must be confessed such an occupation as
thinking pleasantly Of young Leighton was
INDUCED In, here Of late.
But as yet she would not own, even TO
her own heart, that this friendship for the
Mr.. Leighton was gettingt to be a
serious ENHANCEMENT Of the affections, yet
she was conscious Of it, nevertheless.
How shocked even he would be did he
know, did he realize what his kindness had
donei his generous impulses doubtless
would harden into despising her for her
weakness. Well, he would never know.
Abner seemed more given over to the
trying times" than ever before, or did il
only seem so to her because Of her habit
Of contrasting his outbursts OF temper
with the genial, soulful ways Of her friend
over the way?
She tried TO love him, but he beat hel
back with his nagging, fault-fnding dis
position. God only knew OF the desperate
struggles between duty and inclination
within the poor tortured soul of the wife.
Sometimes duty came OF conquerOr, and
she turned with renewed allegiance to hel
husband, but as often her heart yearneC
with an uneOnfessed longing toward tina
friendship-that unconscious other one
who never had given her a rebuff.
Perhaps, had Abner Byrne known Of hil
little wife's herculean efforts to love him il
spite of his faults, he might have softeneC
and held her nearer his heart, but Eleanol
felt that she could not risk trying to make i
all clear to him, knowing his disposition
Caring but little for others, If his own Iitt
was satisfied, he had rigorous rules 70
measuring the gait of his fellows. Will,
blowing great latitude for himself. Sh,
knew this, and therefore stood in morta
error Of revealing anything of her heart Il
hi.u.
And it had grown to be late autumn
and the gold and scarlet of the avenue
had turned to monotonoUs brown, drifting
about under the naked trees. The slzie
were gray with frosty cleaning, an,
Eleanor Byrne shivered as she came out o
the fancy emporium, for the wind bley
bitterly.
Cullen Leighton noticed it as he Wake
out with her. He was very kind now, an
had fallen into the friendly way Of carry
ing her work down to the boat for hel
Il am afraid you viii be very cold unless
they have q IRE in the cabin he said
solicitously.
Did he know that her husband was liv.
ing? she didn't know; she didn't want hin
to find that out just yet, for all the sun
shine would 60 out Of her life with thu
revelation, she was sure. He was tOI
honorable to love her as he did If he hat
known. She meant to tell him, meant t,
write it to him aftsrwhile, but not yet, no
not yet
She took the bundle from his hand
absently, and in a silent, strange wa.
ceased talking with weary sigh An.
one on the outlook for a sensational
shadow might have made quite an item o
look and gesture but the guileiess heart o
her companion only felt that she was il
tLOuDlo- anu 4OE- ASAB L4A-fs AaA AOL q
yet taken any definite shape. She Onl
wished that Abner was as good and genia
hearted as was Cullen Leighton.
She went into the cabin and sat dow
where the sunshine fell through the pan
in little golden waltzes, and capered owe
her brown hair, and nestled warmly mi
the 1aees at her throat.
The boat had rung her bell, and wa
leaving the wharf when sharp quick re
port Of a revolver rang out from her decA
startling the crew and those on shore int
q feverish excitement.
I'll. -s-.z.sz-. - 4,,,,sy5 70 ~ yyTs,